The House of Horrors
by Alex Glaven
Summary: They've made it to the Chamber of Ultimate Torture, and now it's time to unmask the voice of pure evil...*For Piro-Flare's Halloween Contest*
1. A Dark and Stormy Night

Hi peeps! This is in honor of Halloween, of course! A fun little fic  
that I decided to write...  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "FUN?!"::  
Okay, so I guess it all depends on what your idea of fun is....  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "and you're psychotic"::  
::takes his sign away and hits him with it:: Anyway, yeah! Have fun!   
  
  
Chapter 1: A Dark and Stormy Night  
  
It was a dark and stormy night.  
  
Alright, so it wasn't very dark. In fact, due to sheet  
lightening, it was as bright as day outside. The rain was falling, the  
sky was a mass of boiling clouds, and nine Adepts were running for  
shelter.  
  
"Isaac! Look! There's a house!" Mia pointed out.  
  
Isaac looked at it. It was indeed a house, lit up by the light  
of the storm. It was old and decrepid, the grey paint (which had one  
time been white) was peeling off, to reveal even greyer boards beneath  
it. At least what could be seen underneath the ivy scaling up the walls.  
A sagging porch led up to a doorway swinging off of one hinge. All of  
the windows were boarded up, and a small, family cemetery consisting of a  
few scattered tomb stones provided decoration for the front yard.  
  
"No!" Isaac shook his head and kept running.  
  
"But there isn't another house for miles!" Ivan panted to keep  
up. He was fast, sure, but he couldn't run long distances very well.  
  
Sheba, who was also very tired, chose to agree with Ivan.   
"C'mon, Isaac! You were the one that got us stuck out in the middle of  
nowhere!"  
  
"Hey, not my fault we all fell asleep on the bus!" half of  
Isaac's words were drowned out by a clap of thunder, but they all got the  
general idea. "And anyway, that stupid house has 'haunted' written all  
over it!"  
  
"It does?" Picard stopped and squinted to get a better look.  
  
"Stupid Lemurian," Isaac muttered. "No! I mean, look at it!   
Old, decrepid, grey , with a freakin' graveyard in front of it! How does  
this NOT say 'hautned house'?"   
  
"I didn't think houses had the ability to speak," Picard blinked.  
  
"Let's go inside, now," Alex grabbed Isaac by the back of his  
jacket and began pulling him inside. "It's far too wet out here, and I'm  
a Mercury Adept! I LIKE water!"  
  
"No! No!" Isaac struggled, but to no avail. "There's no way  
you're going to get me into that house, especially not on THIS night!"  
  
"Why, what's tonight?" Garet had finally caught up to them. He  
looked rather funny, his hair, which normally stood on end, couldn't  
stand up against a storm of which the likes the area around Vale hadn't  
seen since the boulder had fallen. Wet and dripping, it hung around his  
face, and he looked remarkably like a sheep dog.   
  
"Don't you know?" Isaac's eyes grew very wide.  
  
The others shook their heads.  
  
"Tonight..." Isaac paused dramatically. "...is Halloween."  
  
Nobody was impressed.  
  
"Um...Isaac? Yeah, it's Halloween. But do we believe in ghosts  
or monsters or the dead rising from their grave?" Felix asked.  
  
"You forgot vampires and demons and all that other evil stuff,"  
Isaac said solemnly.  
  
"What's Halloween?" Picard asked.  
  
"Let's just go into the house, c'mon, Alex, let's keep moving,"  
Jenna ploughed her way through the mud, which was to her knees and  
rising. Alex obliged, pulling the Venus Adept despite Isaac's twisting  
and turning.  
  
"No! You'll never take me alive!" Isaac shrieked. "NOOOOO!!!!"  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probaby a whole two  
minutes, they made it under the porch. They all stood there, panting  
from their exertion. Garet tried to fix his hair, but it didn't quite  
work out.  
  
"Well," Felix peered through the door. "Let's go for it."  
  
They all nodded, shivering, and went through the door single  
file.  
  
When the last person (Picard) stepped through the door, it  
slammed shut, and melted into solid wall. A maniacal laughter filled the  
air, as the windows also disappeared from view.  
  
"Hm, it appears I was wrong," Picard said thoughtfully. "Houses  
DO have the ability to speak."  
  
  
Dun dun dun!!! Yeah, okay, read and review, and all that jazz. 'Cause  
if you don't I'll never write another Golden Sun fan fic again! ::evil  
laughter::  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "I hurt"::  
Well...cry a river, build a bridge, and jump off of it! Nobody cares!   
Alright, this is Akiko, over and out! 


	2. That Time of the Month

Hi everyone, and welcome to the House of Horror!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Hello, my faithful fans and fellow  
Adepts!"::  
On today's episode of House of Horror, many horrorish things are  
happening! Read, and be afriad. *evil laughter*  
  
  
Chapter 2  
That Time of the Month  
  
"Let me out! Let me out let me out let me out let me OUT!!!!"  
Jenna shrieked, pounding on the wall where the door had been at one time.  
  
"She's a might bit claustrophobic," Felix explained.  
"What's claustropho-what?" Picard asked.  
"It means if we don't get out of here soon she's going to freak  
out and try to kill us all," Sheba explained.  
For once, Picard understood. "Oh, like she did in that one  
cave?"  
"Yes, Picard, like she did in that one cave."  
"I told you so," Isaac glared at everyone from his perch on the  
stairs. "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so, I t-"  
Mia, who was sitting on the stairs just above him, kicked him.   
Isaac went crashing down the stairs below him and landed in a heap on the  
floor. "Oh, shut up!"  
"Owie," Isaac sat up. His eyes were crossed, and he had a  
sizeable bump forming on his head. He looked up the stairs at Mia, his  
eyes larger than normal, his lower lip trembling. "Mia...what'd you do  
that for?"  
"I did it because you're annoying," Mia said dangerously.  
"Well, it hurt," Isaac pouted.   
"Ah, did you expect it to feel good?" Alex asked. "Take it from  
me, kid. Mia is SCARY. Particularly at this time of the month. It's  
when she has...you know..."  
All of the boys (except for Felix, who was being choked by Jenna,  
and Garet, who frozed up when "that time of the month" was mentioned)  
gave Alex blank looks.  
"You know, that time of the month when your mom starts acting  
really weird and is screaming at your dad one minute and then she's  
crying the next?" Alex hinted.  
"Oh, THAT time of the month," Ivan nodded. "Yeah, that happens  
to Lady Layana once a month. She starts screaming about Hama being too  
fat and stupid."  
"My mom used to tell my dad that he couldn't cut my hair anymore  
'cause I look stupid," Isaac added in.  
"You DO look stupid," Garet, who had regained his senses, pointed  
out.  
"What?" Picard asked.  
"Yeah, guys, it's that time of the month for me," Mia leaned  
forward, her eyes blazing. "So watch out."  
"AAAAGH! Mia's PMSing and we're trapped in an old abondoned  
haunted house and we're all going to DIE!!!!!" Jenna released a rather  
blue looking Felix to fall to her knees sobbing. Felix landed on the  
ground next to her, gasping for air.  
That was when IT happened.  
IT was a voice coming from the walls, singing.  
"Doesn't matter if you cry, you're all still going to die!   
Welcome to the House of HORROR!" it was set to cheesey music, and the  
voice sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. All of the Adepts  
screamed and began running around in circles.  
"Guys, STOP!" Isaac yelled. Everyone froze in place. "Alright,  
we need to STICK TOGETHER. Otherwise, we're going to all..."  
Another voice interrupted him, this one sounded like pure evil.   
"DIE!"  
And all was lost in darkness.   
  
  
Mysterious voices, songs from the walls, and lightless rooms! This can  
only be one thing...  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "CHEESE!"::  
Yes, people, cheese. Never underestimate the power of cheese.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Or you are DOOMED"::  
Alrighty, R&R! It's much appreciated!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Bye everyone!":: 


	3. Flesh Eating Fishermen

Hi! Um...this is an interesting chapter. Let's just say I don't get a  
lot of sleep. Ever.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Nope!"::  
Alright, here we go!  
  
Chapter 3: Flesh Eating Fishmen  
  
"We're gonna die," Jenna muttered solemnly.  
"Gee, aren't we optimistic," Garet muttered sarcastically. He  
wasn't in a very good mood, but that was because he always became really  
temperamental when he was using his Psynergy, and seeing as it was  
dark...he HAD to use Psynergy. Right now, he had a small flame  
surrounding his fist. Isaac just hoped he didn't use that fist on  
anybody.  
"Look, I found a candle stick!" Sheba yelled from a corner. She  
had been staying very far away, an angry Garet scared her. She came  
running over, said candlestick with candle in hand. "Here, light it!"  
She shoved the candle under Garet's nose. He took it from her  
with his non-flaming hand, and used the thumb of his other to light the  
wick  
"Yeah, let's just all use Garet as a lighter," he muttered,  
giving the candle back to Sheba and letting his Psynergy go out.   
"Is everyone present and accounted for?" Isaac asked. "Garet?"  
"Lighter boy is present, you moron," Garet glared at him, looking  
rather scary in the flickering light from the candle.  
"Ivan?"  
"Here."  
"Mia?"  
"Right here, now, leave me ALONE."  
"Err....Felix?"  
"I'm here."  
"Alex?"  
"Yo."  
"Sheba?"  
"I'm holding the candle, dufus."  
"Jenna?"  
"We're gonna die...we're gonna die..."  
'Picard?"  
Silence. Everyone strained their eyes in the dim light, but  
there was no sign of the Lemurian. "PICARD!"  
"The flesh eating fishmen got him," Jenna said, her eyes huge.  
"The flesh eating fishmen?" Felix gave her a skeptical look.   
"Now, I understand being claustrophobic and maybe even being afraid of  
ghost and monsters and the dead rising from the grave-"  
"And vampires and demons and all of that other evil stuff," Isaac  
added.  
"But please, flesh eating fishmen? Vale is land locked! Where  
are they going to live, the river?"  
"Or the pond around the Psynergy Stone," Ivan pointed out.  
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.  
"What was that?" Isaac asked, his eyes bigger than Jenna's.  
"Your stupid imagination," Garet growled at him.  
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.  
"I heard it, too," Sheba said in a whisper.  
"What do you think it could be?" Ivan asked.  
"I don't know, but I wish it would stop," Mia muttered. "It's  
giving me a head ache."  
Ivan and Sheba scooted far away from Mia.  
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.  
"It's the flesh eating fishmen!" Jenna shrieked, grabbing onto  
her brother. Felix started choking, but no one really noticed.   
"It's coming from over there," Alex pointed.  
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.  
"DON'T LET THEM EAT ME!!!!!" Jenna screamed, tightening her grip  
on Felix.  
"Well, now that they know where we ARE..." Garet glared at her.  
"It really doesn't sound like flesh eating fishmen," Alex pointed  
out.   
"It's that door," Sheba pointed a trembling finger to a door  
halfway lost in shadows. They all crept towards it (except for Felix,  
who was dragged by Jenna) the thunking getting louder by the minute.  
Alex grabbed the handle, and turned...  
"Look! I found the kitchen!"  
It was Picard. It was indeed a kitchen, a fire roaring in the  
fireplace and several lanterns lit up the entire room. Picard was at the  
cutting board, an apron over his clothing, cutting up carrots. Thunk.   
Thunk. Thunk.  
"You IDIOT Lemurian!" Jenna released poor Felix to attack a  
bewildered Picard. "I wish you really HAD been eaten by the flesh eating  
fishmen!"  
"What did I DO?" Picard dropped the knife, taking the beating  
from the Mars Adept.   
"Well, who's hungry?" Alex asked.  
  
  
Hope you enjoyed that. Alright, R&R and all of that fun stuff, so I  
know that you love me! And if you want to send me cheese and chocolate,  
I'll know you love me that much more!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "cheese and chocolate?"::  
Ich bin der Kase Gott!  
Isaac: o_O;;; 


	4. The Creepy Rhyming in the Walls

Alrighty, thought I'd point out that after much discussion, Elena(Alex)  
and I have decided to use this as our horror story for Piro Flare's  
contest. Alright, that said, on with the story!  
Oh, and for those of you who were wondering about the voice of pure evil,  
it's coming. Eventually...  
  
  
Chapter 4: The Creepy Rhyming in the Walls  
  
"I don't trust the food," Ivan looked suspiciously at his stew.   
  
"Why not?" Sheba asked.  
  
"Well, for one thing, Picard made it," Ivan nodded towards the  
Lemurian, who was playing with a paper clip he had found on the floor.   
"I mean, it's PICARD. He's rather easily distracted..."  
  
"Simple toys for simple minds," Sheba said wisely. "You're  
distracted easily, too."  
  
Ivan glared at her. "And for another, this house is haunted.   
Why would their be a lighted kitchen full of food? It must be a trick."  
  
"Well, it's a little late," Alex pointed out. "You've already  
eaten half of it."  
  
"I have?" Ivan looked down at his bowl. It was indeed only half  
full. "Hunh. Oh well, if I die, I die."  
  
"You're so absent minded, it bugs me," Mia growled, then started  
tearing up. "But you're so adorable, Ivan!"  
  
She hugged him and began sobbing.  
  
"Hey! Let me go!" he struggled, but Mia had a very firm grip.   
"I...can't...breathe..."  
  
"Now you know how Felix feels," Picard looked up from his paper  
clip. He looked around the room, blinked, scanned the room again, then  
stared at the wall with a blank expression on his face. "I'm confused."  
  
"Well, that's quite the achievement, Picard," Mia said  
sarcastically, releasing a gasping Ivan.  
  
"Hey, where's Felix?" Jenna looked around.  
  
"That's what I was wondering..." Picard shook his head. "He was  
right there, and now he's gone..."  
  
"No!" Jenna shrieked, grabbing onto Alex. "The flesh eating  
fishmen got my brother! NOOOO!!!!"  
  
"I doubt it was the flesh eating fishmen," Isaac pointed out. "I  
bet it was the same people...or demons...or whatever manner of things  
they are that trapped us in the house to embalm our intestines and make  
soup out of our eye balls or something like that."  
  
That was when the lights flickered, and the voice that had sung  
to them before began again.  
  
"You're in the House of Horrors still  
  
We are ready for the kill  
  
One of your friends is already dead..."  
  
"FELIX!!!" Jenna shrieked, drowning out whatever else the creepy  
rhyming singing voice was saying. "THEY KILLED MY BROTHER!!!   
NOOOOO!!!!"  
  
"Don't worry, Jenna," Garet glared at her. His previous good  
mood had yet to be restored. "This is Felix we're talking about."  
  
"Yes, MY brother!" Jenna wailed, choking Alex with all of her  
might. "He died, and then he came back, and then he fell of a  
lighthouse, but he survived, and now he's dead again!!! WAAAAAH!!!!"  
  
"Exactly," Garet said. "It's Felix. He'll come back no matter  
what you do to him."  
  
"Really?" Jenna looked at him, her cheeks tearstained.  
  
"Yeah, he's like a cockroach, it's impossible to kill him!" Isaac  
nodded vigorously. "So...let Alex go."  
  
"Are you sure the flesh eating fishmen won't get to him before we  
find him?" Jenna asked tearfully.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Isaac said.  
  
"Okay," Jenna released Alex, who collapsed on the floor. "I  
think we should split up and-"  
  
"No! No splitting up!" Isaac shook his head violently. "If we  
split up they'll just pick us off one by one! If we stick together then  
we actually have a chance!"  
  
"But...Felix..." Sheba began.  
  
"Felix sacrificed himself for the rest of us," Isaac answered  
before she could finish the question.  
  
"So, you're saying that the flesh eating fishmen ate Felix so  
they're too full to go after the rest of us?" Jenna asked. Alex tried to  
sneak away, but she grabbed his arm, preventing all escape.  
  
"No, he's just being held in a dungeon receiving horrible torture  
and pain, until we find him," Isaac reassured her.   
  
"Okay!" Jenna smiled. "Alright, let's go find my brother!"  
  
Um...right. R&R  
Isaac: T_T  
What?  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "I didn't get to say nothin'"::  
You just did.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "oh. Right then. Carry on"::  
Right.... 


	5. The Hall of Mirrors

Alright, yup, back with another chapter. It's a race against time to get  
this done before Halloween. Anywho, sorry for insulting Picard, but it's  
not really insulting, right? Don't worry, it will all make sense in the  
end. Maybe. Okay, so it probably won't, but it's nice to say.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign and says "Thank you! Thank you!"::  
What?  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Just thanking all of my fans"::  
Right...  
  
Chapter 5: The Hall of Mirrors  
  
"Ah, you're awake."  
  
Felix opened his eyes and groaned. "Wh-where am I?"  
  
He was bound hand and foot to a table. He tried to look around,  
but everything was dark. He might as well have left his eyes closed.  
  
"You're in the Chamber of Ultimate Torture," a voice a pure evil  
said, cackling. "You won't make it out alive."  
  
"NOOOO!!!!"  
  
*******  
  
"Hey, did you hear something?" Alex asked.  
  
"Nope," Isaac shook his head.  
  
"Why, did you?" Picard asked.  
  
Alex shrugged. "I think I'm just hearing stuff. Probably a side  
effect of the lack of oxygen."  
  
"Or the stew," Ivan added.  
  
"Look, a door," Sheba pointed to the end of the hallway. After  
Felix's disappearance, they had left the kitchen, and had been walking  
for some time down a dark, empty hallway that had mysteriously been  
devoid of any life except for them.   
  
"I'll get it," Garet cast Heat Wave, knocking the door in.   
Everyone stared at him. "What? Now it can't melt into the wall and  
disappear like the last three doors have."  
  
"He has a point," Isaac nodded. First the front door, then the  
kitchen, then the other kitchen door."  
  
"Let's just get this over with," Mia scowled at the smoking hole  
that had been the door. "I DO want to get some sleep tonight."  
  
They went through the doorway and once the last person (again,  
Picard) had stepped through, it sealed itself up.  
  
"Well, so much for our destroying the door theory," Mia glared at  
Garet.  
  
"It was more to let off steam anyway," Garet defended himself.   
"You can knock the next door down, Mia."  
  
"Well, I guess it IS more exciting then just opening it," Sheba  
admitted.  
  
"And if a flesh eating fishman is on the other side then it'll  
knock him out cold and we'll be saved!" Jenna said.   
  
That was when they bothered to take a look at their surroundings.  
  
They were in what appeared to be a maze, and the walls were covered  
with...  
  
"Mirrors?" Isaac looked around.  
  
"What's a mirror?" Picard asked.  
  
That was when the creepy rhyming singing voice began explaining.  
  
"Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors!  
The Mirror will show you what you fear!  
It's impossible for you to escape..."  
  
They all stood around blinking as the creepy rhyming faded into  
silence, along with the cheesy music that always seemed to accompany it.  
  
"This doesn't sound too bad," Alex leaned into one mirror. "Now  
I can check my hair."  
  
"I can do this!" Jenna looked into another mirror.  
  
"ACK!" Alex jumped back from his mirror. "Spiders! SPIDERS!   
GET 'EM OFF OF ME!!!"  
  
Jenna sunk to her knees, her eyes wide. "LET ME OUT!! LET ME  
OUT!!!!!"  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Isaac asked, then turned to  
his own mirror. "Ugh....too high! WAY too high! Let me down! Let me  
down!"  
  
"Ugh! I need air!" Garet yelled, grasping his throat. "All of  
this water...the water...it's suffocating me!"  
  
"I'm all alone! Everyone's dead!" Mia shrieked.  
  
"It's really dark...does someone have a candle?" Sheba whispered.  
"Is anyone there?"  
  
"No! Not the clowns! Anything but the clowns!" Ivan yelled.   
"Get them away from me!"  
  
"Hey, snap out of it!" Picard waved his arms. "They're just  
mirrors!"  
  
"Hairy...leggy...get 'em off," Alex muttered.  
  
"Wide open spaces, wide open spaces," Jenna muttered, her eyes  
closed.  
  
"Jenna!" Picard grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Jenna  
opened her eyes, the spell was broken.  
  
"What?!" she yelled.  
  
"Wow, it worked," Picard grinned. "It's just a mirror."  
  
Everyone broke out of their trances and looked at Picard.  
  
"That's right, Picard isn't afraid of anything!" Sheba grinned.  
  
Isaac sighed with relief, still pale and shaking. "Wow...thanks  
Picard. I'm glad that's over."  
  
"I'm so glad you're all alive!" Mia shouted, running around and  
ugging everyone. She paused when she got to Alex. "Except for you."  
  
"Uh...thanks," Alex muttered.  
  
"Thanks for being fearless, Picard," Ivan thanked him.  
  
"Thanks for being afraid of clowns, Ivan," Garet laughed at him.  
  
Picard looked at them all solemnly. "There is one thing I'm  
afraid of."   
  
"Oh really," Isaac rubbed his neck from where Mia had squeezed it  
too hard.   
  
The Lemurian nodded, then pointed at Jenna. "I'm  
afraid of Jenna, but I knew she was right there and that the Jenna in  
the mirror wasn't real."  
  
"Good ol' Picard," Garet slapped him on the back. "I guess being  
clueless has some advantages."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Nevermind, Picard. Nevermind."  
  
  
Ivan: I'm not afraid of clowns!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Yes you are"::  
Ivan: Am not!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Are too"::  
Boys, don't make me come over there.  
Ivan: But-  
Not buts.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "That could make it difficult to sit  
down"::  
ISAAC!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "For more fan fics and me, R&R!"::  
Ivan: I'm not afraid of clowns.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "You LIE!":: 


	6. The Living Dead

Well, I'm back again, and in complete lock-down mode with this fic. I  
plan to finish it by Halloween no matter the late nights, the early  
mornings, or the missing of work...  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Bad Akiko!"::  
Oh, be quiet. Well, here's the next chapter, please enjoy.  
  
Chapter 6: The Living Dead  
  
They escaped the Hall of Mirrors, and came face to face with  
another door.  
"Well, there's no other way..." Mia cracked her knuckles, then  
cast Ice Missil. The door shattered, and they walked over the pieces.   
As before, the door sealed up behind them.  
The room they were in now was lit by eerie, blue flamed candles.   
Everything else was dark, pure darkness.   
"Well, I'm glad we have these candles-" Ivan started to say.   
Just then, a convenient wind picked up and all of their candles snuffed  
out, leaving them in the cold, blue light given off by the candles around  
the room. "-scratch that."  
"You just had to open your big, dumb mouth, didn't you," Mia  
glared at him.  
"Is everyone here?" Isaac whispered.  
They all answered yes, but one high pitched squeak was missing.  
"Hey, where's Sheba?" Ivan asked, looking around. "Sheba?"  
  
Sheba banged on the wall that had sealed up before she could get  
through the door way. "Hello! Can anyone hear me! HELLO?! HELP ME OUT  
OF HERE!"  
"Hello little girl," a raspy voice said.   
She turned around, and screamed. "NOOOOOO!!!!"  
  
"Hey, did you hear something?" Alex asked. The others looked at  
him, shook their heads, and he shrugged. "I hope-"  
But what he hoped no one found out, because Jenna chose that  
moment to wring his neck. "Alex, I'm SCARED!"  
"Of the flesh eating fishmen?" Ivan asked dully. "We have more  
important things to worry about, like where Sheba went!"  
"Probably the same place Felix went," Isaac shrugged. "Hey, she  
survived falling off of a Lighthouse, she can survive anything."  
"Yeah, you're probably right," Ivan sighed.  
"What we REALLY need to worry about is what's going on here,"  
Garet stared into the semi-darkness. "Alright, whatever's out there, I'm  
ready for it!"  
That was when they heard a low moan.   
"What was that?" Jenna asked.  
"Probably the wind," Isaac re-assured her.  
Another moan cut through the silence. Then another, and another.  
And then THEY came into the light.  
"ZOMBIES!!!!" Ivan screamed, jumping back against the wall.   
"ZOMBIES!!!!"  
They were indeed zombies, their flesh decaying, walking with  
their arms held out stiff in front of them, moaning through permanently  
open mouths, staring at them with empty sockets.  
"Oh, great, what do we do now?" Mia asked.  
"I-I don't know..." Isaac muttered. The Adepts backed up against  
the wall, the zombies coming closer, and closer with each shuffling step.  
"We're Adepts, you morons," Garet glared at them all.  
"Oh, that's right!" Jenna released Alex, who fell on the floor.   
"We have Psynergy!"  
"Yeah, we do," Garet cast Pyroclasm. Collumns of fire errupted  
from the floor, incinerating the first row of zombies. But more were  
coming, closer and closer. Isaac cast Grand Gaia, Mia cast Ice Missil,  
Ivan cast Spark Plasma, and Jenna cast Dragon Fire. But there seemed to  
be a neverending hoard of zombies coming at them, and there was no way  
out.  
"We're all going to die," Jenna sobbed. "We're going to run out  
of Psynergy and die..."  
"That's right," a voice of pure evil said. "You're going to  
die."  
  
  
Hahahaha! Evil! I am EVIL!  
Ivan: You're the voice of pure evil?  
Distract him, Garet.  
Garet: Look, Ivan! FBM!  
Ivan: ::looks wildly around:: WHERE?  
Well, I'm not the voice of pure evil, but you'd better R&R!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Or she'll sick the voice" changes  
signs "Of pure evil on you!"::  
That's right! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA! 


	7. Death of the Dead

I'm back, as usual.   
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "You have no life"::  
Well...uh...okay. Fine. I have no life. But at least I can talk.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Ooh, you're good."::  
Yeah, I am. Well, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 7: Death of the Dead  
  
"We're all gonna die," Jenna was back to choking Alex. "We're  
all gonna die!"  
  
"Geesh, glad to see that some of us can be SO optimistic," Garet  
muttered, casting Inferno. Some of the zombies were burned to little  
crisps, but far too many of them escaped with only minor burns or weren't  
hit at all. A few of them lit up like torches, giving them more of an  
idea of what they were up against.  
  
"Hey, let's use our Djinn!" Isaac said brightly.  
  
"We left them at home, remember?" Mia glared at him.  
  
"Oh yeah," Isaac looked mournfully to the hordes of zombies  
slowly but surely closing in on them. "We're all gonna die..."  
  
"Oh, don't YOU start," Garet growled.  
  
"Wait!" Ivan yelled. "Look!"  
  
They all looked where he was pointing...  
  
...and saw absolutely nothing.  
  
"There's nothing there, Ivan," Mia said blandly.  
  
"Fine," Ivan cast reveal. The entire area was lit up, and at the  
other end of the room was a huge, gaping hole. Zombies were climbing out  
of it, standing up and coming towards them. "If we seal up that hole  
then the zombies will stop coming out and we'll be saved!"  
  
"What are we going to seal it up with?" Jenna looked curiously at  
the hole.  
  
"Leave this to a Venus Adept!" Isaac stepped forward. "I'm the  
one for the job!"  
  
"Then do it!" Mia yelled, casting Glacier to destroy more  
zombies.  
  
Alright, alright already, yeesh," Isaac glared at Mia's turned  
back. "I'll have to get a little closer, though."  
  
"It's times like these when you really miss your weapons,"Picard  
said. "Don't ya wish you had your Gaia Blade right now, Isaac?"  
  
"Shut up, Picard," Isaac glared at him. "I haven't seen YOU do  
any work."  
  
"That's because I'm busy," Picard said matter of factly. "Here,  
if it matters so much to you."  
  
He handed Isaac a sword.   
  
"Uh...thanks."  
  
  
"Alright," Garet smirked. "C'mon, Isaac."  
  
He cast heat wave, destroying four zombies that were standing in  
a row. Isaac sliced a few up and they made their way to the hole, Garet  
casting fire spells and Isaac hacking and slashing for all he was worth.  
  
They got to the hole, and Isaac cast Stone Spire.  
  
The zombies trying to get through the hole were turned into nasty  
piles of shredded, decaying flesh and bones. Mia and Ivan managed to  
finish off the rest while Picard looked thoughtfully a the ceiling and  
Jenna choked Alex.  
  
And then it was over.  
  
"We're alive!" Jenna let go of Alex, who leaned against the wall,  
gasping for air. "Yay!"  
  
"Good job, Isaac!" Ivan cheered him. "You too, Garet!"  
  
"Was that MEANT to sound like an afterthought?" Garet glared at  
him.  
  
"Whatever," Mia rolled her eyes.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Alex said once regaining his breath.   
"Nothing else could POSSIBLY be worse than seeing your worst fear in a  
mirror and being attacked by a raving psycho name Je...I mean, a horde of  
vicious zombies."  
  
"And living through that horrible rhyming singing voice," Jenna  
added brightly.  
  
"And the bad decorating," Mia glanced around her, a look of  
distaste on her face.  
  
"But guys, what about the voice of pure evil?" Isaac asked.  
  
"And the flesh eating fishmen?" Jenna added.  
  
"And what about the fact that there's no door?" Garet asked.  
  
The blue flamed candles went out, and the voice of pure evil  
sounded again. "Prepare to meet your worst nightmare..."  
  
Jenna screamed and began wringing the neck of the nearest person  
to her, who unfortunately happened to be Ivan.  
  
"Can't...breathe..." the Jupiter Adept gasped.  
  
"Wow, that voice of pure evil is always dead on," Picard said.  
  
"It's not the only thing that's going to be dead..." Isaac  
whispered. "I think I have to agree with Jenna on this one. We're all  
going to die."  
  
  
And, we're heading slowly but surely in the direction of the conclusion.  
Which is good because Halloween is drawing nearer with each passing  
moment.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "As declared by the Voice of Pure  
Evil"::  
::sounds of someone walking upstairs, evil laughter::  
Hey...I thought everyone was gone...  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "They are"::  
O_o;;; I'm scared.  
Isaac: O_o;;; ::holds up a sign that says "Me too...um...R&R"::  
O_o;; And stuff...That's the last time I do a Halloween fic...O_o;;; 


	8. The Creaking Door of Doom

Well, I'm back with another chapter.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "As was expected"::  
I know this depresses some people, but we only have two chapters to go!  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "At least you're happy"::  
Actually, I'll miss writing this. On with the story!  
  
Chapter 8: The Creaking Door of Doom   
  
"It's been a while since that voice of pure evil said anything,"  
Garet commented. They had re-lit all of the candles that they had  
brought with them and were now sitting in a circle, watching eachother's  
backs.   
  
"I hope Sheba and Felix are okay," Ivan bit his lip, free to  
speak now that he was no longer the bearer of Jenna's fear.   
  
"Save a little worry for us," Mia curled her legs up to her  
chest, resting her chin on her knees. "We're not sure what the voice of  
evil said, I mean, Jenna drowned out that last part with her screaming."  
  
"Well, EXCUSE me," Jenna glared at her, linking arms with Alex.   
"He STARTLED me, what, with all of the candles going out like that."  
  
The repeated rushes of adrenalyne had left them all feeling very  
tired. Isaac was already half asleep, staring at the floor, when...  
  
Creak.  
  
"Hey, that sounded like a door," he looked up. Everyone else  
looked up, too. Outside of their little pool of candle light was pure  
darkness. Isaac got to his feet, taking his candle with him. "I think  
it came from over there."  
  
The group got to their feet, except for Picard, who had a dreamy  
look on his face and hadn't said a word for a long time. No one could  
decide whether this was a good thing or not.  
  
After Jenna nearly breaking down twice and Ivan tripping over  
some of the zombie left overs, they did indeed reach a door. It was  
swinging on its hinges in a wind that seemed to be coming from nowhere,  
causing the candle flames to stutter.   
  
"This wasn't here before," Mia muttered.  
  
"Well, anything's better than staying in here," Garet said  
fervently. "I say the sooner we get through this door, the sooner we get  
out of this stupid house. C'mon, Picard. Picard?"  
  
They turned around. The Lemurian's candle was still sitting  
where it was, but its owner wasn't there.  
  
"He's probably going to jump out of the shadows or something,"  
Alex muttered. "And when Jenna tries to kill him he'll have no idea  
why."  
  
***********  
  
"Where am I?" Picard looked around, a bit dazed. He was tied to  
what appeared to be a table top, in what appeared to be a dank, dark  
dungeon.   
  
"Picard!"  
  
He looked over. Felix and Sheba were strapped to similar tables.  
  
"Oh, hello," he said, still confused. "Where are we?"  
  
"The Chamber of Ultimate Torture," Sheba said. "Don't worry  
though, neither of us have been tortured yet."  
  
"Oh...good."  
  
***********  
  
The room had been searched, and still no sign of Picard could be  
found.  
  
"We'll just have to go on without him, I guess," Isaac turned to  
the door, his friends gathered into a tight huddle behind him.   
  
"Are you sure?" Garet asked. "I mean, knowing this place, it's  
probably the creaky door of doom or something."  
  
"We'll just have to take that chance," Isaac said, braver than he  
felt. He led the way slowly to the door, pushed it the rest of the way  
open, and held his candle over his head.  
  
It was a spiral stair case, heading down into the depths of the  
earth.  
  
"We should have just gone up those stairs at the very begining,"  
Alex muttered.  
  
  
Aren't they odd.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Yes, they are"::  
So, yeah, there is a purpose to this plot and a plot to this purpose.   
It's just that neither has actually shown up yet.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Yup yup yup!"::  
Alright, I'm gonna call it a night. As usual, you read it, you review  
it.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "Kinda like...you deny it-" holds up  
another sign "-you supply it?"::  
Not exactly, but I think they get the general idea. 


	9. The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Alright, this was actually requested by Kaede from Vilya n Company, so  
here we go.  
Isaac: ::holds up a sign that says "YAY!"::  
That's right, I'm finally going to get Isaac a dry-erase board. More  
economical, a lot easier on him, and the typing.  
Isaac: ::holds up another sign that says "Are we going to the store  
now?"::  
::grabs her car keys (I drive a Passat!):: Alright, let's do this. But  
first, the next chapter.  
  
Chapter 9: The Light at the End of the Tunnel   
  
The stair case lasted forever, but when they got to the bottom it  
was obvious that the dark, stone hallway they were in was very far below  
ground. The walls were dripping, everything was very cold, and a draft  
from the stair case kept on threatening to blow out not only their  
candles, but the torches that lined the walls.   
  
"I hate spooky dungeons," Mia muttered as they trudged along the  
passageway. "They're cold, dripping, and there is absolutely NO thought  
put into them. Don't you agree, Jenna?"  
  
"I'm scared," was all the Mars Adept could say. Luckily, she had  
a death grip on Alex's arm rather than his neck.  
  
He, however, failed to see how this could be a good change.   
"Jenna...my arm's going to sleep."  
  
"What would you rather have fall asleep, you arm or your head?"  
Ivan asked.  
  
"Good point. Nevermind, Jenna."  
  
"Y'know, Mia has a good point, too," Garet shivered. "I hate  
these places."  
  
"That's 'cause you're a Mars Adept and it's too cold for you,"  
Isaac teased.  
  
"Guys, this is serious," Ivan glared at them all. "We're walking  
down a dark passage way probably MILES beneath the surface of the earth  
and quite frankly, we're probably all going to DIE so if you wouldn't  
mind-"  
  
"What, do you want us to be all gloom and doom about it?" Isaac  
asked.  
  
Garet took the cue marvelously, falling to his knees and moaning  
in mock despair. "I don't want to die! This place is so fowl and evil,  
please, I just want one more breath of fresh air, to feel the sun again  
and maybe kill a few things while I'm at it! Please, God, save me from  
this cruel fate..."  
  
"I get the point already!" Ivan fumed. "Go back to cracking  
jokes about our fate!"  
  
"Good, we knew you'd see it our way eventually," Garet got to his  
feet, brushing slime and muck off of the knees of his pants, feeling very  
glad that he was wearing gloves. "Alright, where were we?"  
  
"I just said that it was too cold for you because you're a Mars  
Adept," Isaac infromed him.  
  
"Oh, right then," Garet nodded. "Well, if YOU were a Mars Adept  
YOU wouldn't be feeling to great about this entire situation, either."  
  
"Well, I'm not, so cry a river, build a bridge, and jump off of  
it," Isaac said cheerfully.  
  
"Oh, very witty, Isaac," Mia glared icily at him. "Did you come  
up with that all by yourself, or did you have some help from Picard?"  
  
"You always did ruin our fun," Garet didn't even bother glaring  
at Mia. "Why don't you take yourself and your PMSing somewhere else,  
hmm?"  
  
"Fine, I will," Mia strode forward.  
  
"Ah, c'mon Mia, he was just kidding," Alex put in a good word for  
Garet. But Mia didn't hear it, a hoel opened up beneath her feet and she  
fell in, screaming.  
  
"MIA!"  
  
They all ran forward, but it was too late. With the grating of  
stone the hole was re-covered.  
  
"I'm not even going to waste my time worrying about her," Ivan  
said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm more worried about who's trying t capture her," Isaac  
agreed, nodding.  
  
"I hope that doesn't happen to me," Jenna looked where the hole  
had been. "This place is too small as it is."  
  
**************  
  
"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!"  
  
"Hm...we seemed to have made a mistake," the voice of pure evil  
commented.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAGH!!!!"  
  
"There goes the creepy rhyming guy," another voice, not quite  
pure evil but very close noted, as if it was talking about the weather.  
  
"Well, this WILL scare the others, won't it?" the voice of pure  
evil asked.  
  
The other voice was silent for a moment. "Actually, they're  
probably relieved..."  
  
*********  
  
The second voice was not far off. Now that Mia was gone, the  
group could talk freely without wondering if they were going to be  
killed. Jenna even loosened her grip on Alex's arm...a little bit.  
  
"Hey, look, a light!" Isaac pointed ahead.  
  
"At the end of a tunnel!" Ivan added.  
  
Garet wasn't so enthused. "Hm...the light at the end of the  
tunnel usually means that you're DEAD."  
  
"I thought you guys weren't going for the whole 'doom and gloom'  
bit," Alex said dryly.  
  
"Yeah, I thought we were done with that," Isaac gave Garet a  
quizzical look.   
  
"Sorry," Garet shrugged, but somehow he couldn't shake off the  
feeling of forboding that had been creeping up the farther they got down  
the tunnel.  
  
In a matter of minutes they left the tunnel and entered a  
brightly lit room. The wall slid closed behind them, but no one was  
really surprised, they had been expecting something of the sort to  
happen.  
  
"GUYS!" Felix yelled from where he was strapped to a table. "You  
made it!"  
  
"FELIX!" Jenna yelled, abandoning Alex to run to her brother and  
squeeze him around the neck. Poor Felix made choking noises.  
  
"Where are we?" Ivan looked around.  
  
"You're in the Chamber of Ultimate Torture!" the voice of pure  
evil announced.  
  
  
Alrighty...I think that chapter was bigger than the last three combined.  
Isaac: ::writing on his new dry erase board "But it was fun!"::  
Yeah...anywho, you read, you review.  
Isaac: ::begins to write on his dry erase board, but Akiko hits him with  
it::  
Oh, and Evil Neptune, thanks for the spelling lesson. Normally I catch  
things like that but I was in a hurry to get that chapter out.  
Isaac: @_@  
Oh, and someone commented on my "Ich bin der Kase Gott". It means "I am  
the Cheese God" in German. I hope that person's reading this story, I  
can't even remember where I said that.  
Alright, one chapter to go! Be prepared for the worst! 


	10. Happy Halloween

Chapter 10: Happy Halloween  
  
They all turned towards the voice of pure evil. Standing in the  
doorway, cloaked and hooded in black, was...someone.  
  
"Right..." Garet nodded.   
  
"Y'know, I expected something much more terrifying and dramatic  
from you after all of that," Isaac crossed his arms and pouted. "I mean,  
what, with Felix and Sheba and Picard disappearing, and the Hall of  
Mirrors, and the zombies everywhere..."  
  
"What are you talking about?" the voice of pure evil didn't sound  
very evil anymore. In fact, it sounded like the voice of pure confusion  
with a dash of evil on the side.  
  
"It's a House of Horrors," Garet said dully. "You know, like in  
that horror film classic, 'The House of Horrors'."  
  
While Garet and Isaac were sufficiently distracting the owner of  
the voice of pure evil, Ivan and Alex set to work freeing Picard, Sheba  
and Felix. Felix was going rather blue so Alex offered Jenna his arm.   
She grabbed onto it and Felix could breathe once again.  
  
"Well, yes, but I didn't think the Hall of Mirrors was THAT  
terrifying," the voice was saying.  
  
"Well, you're right, it didn't really hold a candle up to the  
Creaky Door of Doom and the Spiral Staircase of Fear," Isaac said  
sarcastically. "But seeing your worst fear in a mirror is pretty scary."  
  
"And we won't let you get away with trapping us in this stupid  
house!" Picard yelled, drawing one of the many knives he had hidden upon  
his person. They all knew that Picard could be a...well...clueless  
moron, but when he was sufficiently angry then he snapped out of his  
blank state of mind and got serious.   
  
"Guys," the hood of the black cloak was thrown back, revealing...  
  
Kraden.  
  
"Dun dun dun," Garet muttered.  
  
"Kraden...YOU did this?" Sheba's eyes went wide.  
  
"I knew it! You're EVIL!" Jenna pointed an accusing finger at  
him. "Get 'im, Alex!"  
  
"Wait, guys, I can explain," Kraden took off the robe, so he was  
in his normal brown one. "We only set this up because-"  
  
"SURPRISE!"  
  
The entirety of Vale leapt out into the open from behind Kraden.  
  
The Adepts were shocked.  
  
"Your entire TOWN is evil," Alex stared.  
  
"That is CREEPY," Sheba shook her head.  
  
"Let me through!" Mia pushed through the crowd. "These IDIOTS  
thought it would be FUNNY to set this entire thing up as a surprise party  
for us Adepts."  
  
"Oh, a surprise party," Isaac and Garet nodded. "We knew that."  
  
"Happy Halloween!"  
  
"But..." Ivan protested. "We could have DIED! What, with all of  
those zombies and the Hall of Mirrors and Picard's cooking! What were  
you guys THINKING?"  
  
"Zombies? Hall of Mirrors?" Dora gave them all a confused look.   
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"THAT would be OUR doing!"  
  
The voice came from somewhere above them. They looked up, and  
gasped.  
  
They were transparent, and they were floating.  
  
But there was no mistaking Saturos and Menardi.  
  
"But...we killed you!" Isaac protested.  
  
Garet added his own comments. "Yeah! You fell through the big  
hole in the Venus Lighthouse a long time ago!"  
  
"But did you REALLY expect us to rest quietly?" Saturos asked.  
  
"No," Ivan shook his head.  
  
"You suck," Alex pointed out.  
  
Menardi sighed. "Well, we're off to terrify our own clan for  
making us attempt to get the Elemental Stars in the first place."  
  
"You mean, you're done haunting us?" Felix asked.  
  
"Who are they?" Picard gave Saturos and Menardi a clueless look.  
  
"You'll never hear from us again," Saturos promised. "See ya!"  
  
And they disappeared.  
  
"I hate Halloween," Isaac muttered.  
  
"I still don't know what Halloween is..." Picard blinked.  
  
The End  
  
  
Well, hope you enjoyed that, and thanks to everyone who reviewed! I LOVE  
YOU ALL!  
Isaac: ::writing in pink "You make her feel loved" writing in purple  
"and speciated"::  
Yup! ^_^ Well, stay tuned for more fics, and of course, more fun!   
Thanks for the ride, it was REALLY fun to write this, and I'm really  
going to miss it and everyone that reviewed!  
Isaac: ::writing in green "You could do a sequel"::  
Maybe I will. ^_^ Alright, then stay tuned for a potential sequel!   
Isaac: ::writing in gray "Bye, and thanks for the markers!":: 


End file.
